The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Repercussions on Immigration

July 23, 2025

Closeup of the documents of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a budget reconciliation bill in the 119th United States Congress.

The House of Representatives has passed budget reconciliation bill H.R. 1, titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which introduces major changes to the immigration fee structure. As the Senate works on its own version of the reconciliation bill, many of the immigration-related provisions remain consistent with those in the House-passed version.

The bill allocates roughly $146.3 billion to immigration detention and enforcement efforts while cutting funding for Social Security, Medicare, and other public programs. Visa holders and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) may face new financial burdens and restrictions on eligibility. A 3.5% remittance tax would be imposed on money sent abroad by non-citizens, directly impacting workers who support families overseas. Additionally, access to healthcare premium tax credits and Medicare would be restricted to a limited group, excluding most temporary workers—such as those on H-1B visas—potentially increasing healthcare expenses for both employees and the employers who sponsor them.

Some of the key points are the following:

Funding for at least 1 million deportations each year
Hiring 10,000 new ICE agents
Expanding detention space for up to 100,000 individuals daily
New immigration-related fees to support enforcement efforts and agency operations

Support for Immigration Enforcement:

More money for ICE, Border Patrol, USCIS, and immigration courts
Hiring more ICE agents and Homeland Security investigators
Paying for deportations by air and land
Increasing the number of detention beds
Funding the “Remain in Mexico” policy
Screening unaccompanied minors for gang ties
Hiring more government lawyers to speed up deportations
Creating permanent immigration service fees to help cover costs and reduce the national deficit

New Immigration Fees:

$100 First time I-589 filing fee for cases that in court (Payable on the EOIR website: https://epay.eoir.justice.gov/index
Possible increase of $1000 for asylum applications (first time in U.S. history).
$1,000 for people paroled into the U.S.
$3,500 for sponsors of unaccompanied minors
$5,000 if a sponsor fails to show up to court
$550 for work permits
$500 for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applications
$400 for diversity visa applications
$250 to enter the Diversity Visa Lottery
$250 visa integrity fee
$100/year while an asylum application is pending
$100 for court continuances
$5,000 if deported in absentia
$1,500 to apply for a green card
$1,050 for inadmissibility waivers
$900 to appeal immigration judge or DHS decisions
$1,325 to appeal in lawyer misconduct cases
$900 to reopen or reconsider cases
$600 to apply for deportation suspension
$600–$1,500 to cancel deportation, depending on residency status
$30 for I-94 arrival/departure record (up from $6)